AI & SEO Trends Update - 24th July 2026

Since our last AI & SEO Trends Update, we have had almost a full month without a confirmed Google ranking update.

The last confirmed ranking update listed on Google’s Search Status Dashboard was the June 2026 spam update, which started on 24th June and completed on 26th June. Since then, there have been no new confirmed core updates, spam updates or ranking incidents.

But that does not mean search has been quiet.

Overview of New Developments

Over the past two weeks, the biggest developments have been around AI search becoming more commercial, more local, and more difficult to measure through traditional SEO reporting alone.

Google has continued to defend the role of AI Search in sending traffic to websites, but there are still gaps in the reporting data available to website owners. AI Mode is starting to show more ads for commercial queries, Google-owned business and product cards are becoming more visible inside AI Mode, and OpenAI has partnered with Yelp to bring local reviews, ratings and business data into ChatGPT.

In short, the big story is not algorithm volatility. It is how AI search is changing the surfaces where brands need to be visible.

Key Takeaway

AI search is becoming more commercial, more local and more platform-led.

The past few weeks have not been dominated by a new Google core update. Instead, they have highlighted how quickly AI search is becoming part of the wider search and discovery ecosystem.

The key changes are:

• AI Mode is starting to show ads for more commercial queries
• Google Business Profiles and Product Knowledge Panels are becoming more visible inside AI Mode answers
• ChatGPT is gaining access to Yelp’s reviews, ratings, photos and business data for local recommendations
• Google is continuing to say AI Search sends significant traffic to websites, but the available reporting data is still limited
• AI Overviews are beginning to include more publisher-led features, such as Top Stories

Together, these changes show that SEO visibility is no longer just about website rankings. It is increasingly about whether your brand, content, products, reviews, profiles and third-party data are visible across AI-led search experiences.

No Confirmed Google Ranking Updates for Almost a Month

There have been no new confirmed Google ranking updates since the June 2026 spam update completed on 26th June, according to Google’s ranking update history.

This is worth noting because the first half of 2026 was much more active. We had the February Discover update, the March spam update, the March core update, the May core update and the June spam update all within the first six months of the year.

A quieter period does not mean rankings will be completely stable. Search results can still fluctuate for many reasons, including competitor changes, content updates, crawling/indexing changes, SERP layout changes and ongoing recalibration after previous updates.

However, for reporting purposes, it does mean late-July ranking movement should not automatically be attributed to a new confirmed Google update.

What This Means For You

If rankings have moved over the past couple of weeks, it is worth reviewing the change at page, topic and query level rather than assuming it is algorithm-led.

The key things to check are:

• Whether the affected pages were already impacted by the May Core Update or June spam update
• Whether competitors have improved or refreshed their content
• Whether Google is showing more AI Overviews, AI Mode results, ads or local features for the query
• Whether impressions are stable but clicks have dropped
• Whether direct or branded traffic has increased at the same time

The absence of a confirmed update does not mean there is nothing to investigate. It just means the explanation may be more about SERP changes, AI search behaviour or competitor movement than a new algorithm rollout.

Google Says AI Search Sends Billions of Clicks, But Reporting Gaps Remain

Google has continued to push back against the idea that AI Search is simply reducing traffic to publishers and websites.

As reported by Search Engine Land, Google said its AI Search features are sending “billions of clicks” to websites each week. This is clearly intended to reassure website owners, publishers and SEO teams that AI-led search is not replacing the open web.

The Ongoing Data Visibility Challenge

However, the challenge is that website owners still do not have enough transparent data to properly validate how those clicks are distributed.

Search Console’s generative AI performance reports are still rolling out, and while Google’s Search Generative AI performance reports show impressions from AI Overviews, AI Mode and generative AI features in Discover, they do not yet provide the full level of click, query and attribution detail that SEO teams would ideally want.

Search Engine Journal also reported that Google is adding more AI search data across Search Console and Merchant Center, but that important gaps remain. For example, a Merchant Center pilot is starting to show retailers shopping-related questions that people ask in AI Mode and AI Overviews, but these appear to be grouped rather than shown as individual query-level data.

What This Means For You

This reinforces the same reporting challenge we have been seeing for several months. AI search visibility is becoming more measurable, but it is still not fully transparent.

We can start to track:

• AI impressions in Search Console where available
• AI citations in Bing Webmaster Tools
• AI referrals in analytics
• Branded search demand
• Direct traffic
• Landing page performance
• Enquiry quality

But we should be careful not to treat AI visibility as a fully mature reporting channel yet.

Google is providing more data than before, but there are still important gaps around clicks, queries and how AI visibility contributes to conversions.

AI Mode Is Becoming a More Commercial Search Surface

One of the most interesting developments from the past two weeks is the growing role of ads in Google AI Mode.

SE Ranking analysed more than 50,000 commercial keywords and found that AI Mode showed text ads on 29.45% of commercial queries in its dataset.

The study also found that higher-CPC keywords were more likely to trigger ads, with ad presence rising from 24.33% for lower-CPC keywords to 53.56% for keywords with CPCs of $10 or more.

This suggests that Google AI Mode is not just an informational search experience. It is quickly becoming a commercial and paid search surface as well.

Another important finding, also covered by Search Engine Land, was that buying an ad does not mean your website will be cited in the AI answer. According to the study, in 88% of ad keywords, the advertiser’s domain was not among the sources cited by AI Mode.

What This Means For You

This is an important distinction. Paid visibility and AI citation visibility are not the same thing.

A brand may appear as an advertiser in AI Mode without being cited as an organic source in the AI-generated answer. Equally, a brand may be cited organically without appearing in the paid section.

For businesses, this means AI search needs to be considered across both SEO and paid media.

The key questions are:

• Are commercial AI Mode results appearing for our priority keywords?
• Are competitors appearing as advertisers?
• Are we being cited in the AI-generated answer?
• Are paid and organic visibility working together or appearing separately?
• Do our pages provide enough useful information to be cited, not just clicked?

AI Mode is becoming another place where commercial intent is captured, so it needs to be monitored as part of both SEO and PPC strategy.

Google-Owned Profiles Are Becoming More Visible in AI Mode

Search Engine Land reported that Google.com has become the second most-cited domain in AI Mode, based on Profound’s tracking.

The increase appears to be driven mainly by Google-hosted Business Profiles and Product Knowledge Panels appearing inside AI Mode answers, particularly for local and product-led searches. Search Engine Journal also covered the same trend, highlighting how Google’s own properties are becoming more visible in AI-led results.

This matters because AI Mode may show a user a Google-hosted business or product panel before they ever reach the company’s website.

For local searches, that could include details such as:

• Opening hours
• Reviews
• Photos
• Location
• Business information

For product searches, it could include product panels, specifications and comparison-style information.

What This Means For You

This makes owned website content important, but not sufficient on its own.

For local and product-led businesses, Google-hosted assets may become a bigger part of the first impression users get inside AI search.

That means it is increasingly important to keep these assets accurate and persuasive, including:

• Google Business Profile information
• Product feeds and product data
• Reviews and ratings
• Photos
• Service categories
• Opening hours
• Location details
• Product specifications

If AI Mode is pulling more Google-hosted information into the answer, then those profiles and panels need to be treated as part of the SEO ecosystem.

They are not just admin tasks. They may influence whether someone trusts, clicks or contacts the business.

ChatGPT Gains Access to Yelp Reviews, Ratings and Photos

Local AI search is also evolving outside Google. OpenAI has partnered with Yelp, allowing ChatGPT to access and surface Yelp reviews, ratings, photos and business details in response to local queries.

According to Axios, Yelp branding and links will appear when OpenAI uses its content, and Yelp’s “Request a Quote” feature is also expected to become available in ChatGPT for local services searches. Search Engine Land also reported on the OpenAI and Yelp deal, highlighting the potential impact on local search and AI recommendations.

This is a significant development because it shows how AI platforms may use licensed third-party data to improve local recommendations.

It also reinforces that local visibility in AI search is not only about Google Business Profile. Other structured local data sources, review platforms and directories may become more important as AI assistants look for trusted information to support recommendations.

What This Means For You

For local and service-based businesses, reviews and third-party profiles are becoming more important to AI visibility.

This does not mean every business needs to prioritise Yelp specifically, especially in markets where Yelp is less influential. But the broader point is important: AI assistants need reliable third-party data to answer local queries.

That makes it worth reviewing:

• Review coverage across relevant platforms
• Consistency of business information
• Service descriptions
• Photos and proof points
• Local category relevance
• The quality and recency of reviews
• Whether third-party profiles are complete and accurate

As AI assistants become a bigger part of local discovery, reputation and structured business data may play a larger role in whether a brand is recommended.

Top Stories Are Appearing in AI Overviews

Google has also started rolling out Top Stories inside AI Overviews for some US mobile queries.

This is worth watching because it suggests Google is experimenting with ways to bring fresher publisher content into AI-generated search experiences.

For publishers and brands creating timely content, this could become important. AI Overviews have often been discussed as a threat to publisher traffic, because they can answer informational queries directly in the search results. But features such as Top Stories may create more opportunities for fresh, news-led or timely content to appear within AI search surfaces.

What This Means For You

This is another sign that AI search results are becoming more layered.

They are not just static AI summaries. They may include:

• Organic citations
• Paid ads
• Google Business Profiles
• Product panels
• Review data
• Top Stories
• Publisher content
• Social or video elements

For brands, this means content strategy should not only focus on evergreen pages.

Timely commentary, news-led insight, original research and expert reaction may also become important ways to earn visibility in AI-led search experiences, particularly where Google is trying to surface fresh or authoritative perspectives.

Conclusion: What to Look Out For

Over the next few weeks, the biggest thing to monitor is not just whether Google releases another confirmed ranking update. It is how AI-led search surfaces continue to change.

We are now seeing AI search absorb more parts of the wider digital ecosystem, including ads, product data, local profiles, reviews, publisher content and third-party data partnerships.

You may notice:

• Rankings staying relatively stable while clicks fluctuate
• AI Mode becoming more visible for commercial searches
• Paid ads appearing more often inside AI-led search results
• Google Business Profiles shaping the first impression for local searches
• Product panels influencing product-led discovery
• Review platforms and third-party data becoming more important for AI recommendations
• More reporting questions around how AI visibility contributes to direct traffic, branded search and enquiries

The main thing is not to treat AI search as a separate channel. It is becoming part of how users discover, compare and evaluate brands across the whole search journey.

What We’ll Be Monitoring

Over the coming weeks, we’ll be keeping a close eye on:

• Whether Google confirms any new ranking updates after the current quieter period
• Whether late-July ranking movement looks algorithmic, competitive or SERP-led
• How often AI Mode appears for commercial queries
• Whether paid ads appear alongside AI Mode answers in key sectors
• Whether brands are being cited organically in AI Mode as well as appearing through ads
• Google Business Profile and Product Knowledge Panel visibility inside AI Mode
• The impact of third-party review data on local AI recommendations
• Whether more publishers and brands appear through Top Stories inside AI Overviews
• AI visibility data in Search Console, Bing Webmaster Tools and other tracking platforms
• Direct traffic, branded search and enquiry patterns where organic clicks are harder to attribute

The main takeaway is simple: the absence of a confirmed Google update does not mean search is standing still.

AI search is becoming more commercial, more local and more platform-led. For SEO, that means visibility now depends on much more than a website ranking alone.

Strong website content still matters. But so do business profiles, product data, reviews, citations, paid visibility, brand recognition and the trust signals users see before they ever click through.

If you have any questions about how these changes may affect your SEO strategy, get in touch with us today.